oe in proud disdain. Slowly he advanced toward the
exit he had chosen to utilize in making his way from the temple. A
burly priest barred his way. Behind the first was a score of others.
Tarzan swung his heavy spear, clublike, down upon the skull of the
priest. The fellow collapsed, his head crushed.

Again and again the weapon fell as Tarzan made his way slowly toward
the doorway. Werper pressed close behind, casting backward glances
toward the shrieking, dancing mob menacing their rear. He held the
sacrificial knife ready to strike whoever might come within its reach;
but none came. For a time he wondered that they should so bravely
battle with the giant ape-man, yet hesitate to rush upon him, who was
relatively so weak. Had they done so he knew that he must have fallen
at the first charge. Tarzan had reached the doorway over the corpses
of all that had stood to dispute his way, before Werper guessed at the
reason for his immunity. The priests feared the sacrificial knife!
Willingly would they face death and welcome it if it came while they
defended their High Priestess and her altar; but evidently there were
deaths, and deaths. Some strange superstition must surround that
polished blade, that no Oparian cared to chance a death thrust from it,
yet gladly rushed to the slaughter of the ape-man's flaying spear.

Once outside the temple court, Werper communicated his discovery to
Tarzan. The ape-man grinned, and let Werper go before him, brandishing
the jeweled and holy weapon. Like leaves before a gale, the Oparians
scattered in all directions and Tarzan and the Belgian found a clear
passage through the corridors and chambers of the ancient temple.

The Belgian's eyes went wide as they passed through the room of the
seven pillars of solid gold. With ill-concealed avarice he looked upon
the age-old, golden tablets set in the walls of nearly every room and
down the sides of many of the corridors. To the ape-man all this
wealth appeared to mean nothing.

On the two went, chance leading them toward the broad avenue which lay
between the stately piles of the half-ruined edifices and the inner
wall of the city. Great apes jabbered at them and menaced them; but
Tarzan answered them after their own kind, giving back taunt for taunt,
insult for insult, challenge for challenge.

Werper saw a hairy bull swing down from a broken column and advance,
stiff-legged and bristling, toward the naked giant. The yellow f